بأبي وغيرِ أبي مخدرةً

بأبي وغيرِ أبي مخدرةً

ما نولتني وصلَها الحيلُ

ما نولتني وصلَها الحيلُ

May my father, and others besides him, be ransom for a secluded maiden.

By my father and others' fathers intoxicated

No stratagems have won me union with her.

I attained not her affection though I schemed

بجفونها من غنجها شركٌ

بجفونها من غنجها شركٌ

وبساقها من حجلها حجل

وبساقها من حجلها حجل

In her eyelids, her coquetry has laid a snare;

In her eyelids from her coquetry is idolatry

And her anklet gives her leg a hopping gait.

And in her legs from her anklets are anklets

مرَّ الهوى بخمارها فهوى

مرَّ الهوى بخمارها فهوى

عنها فقام مقامه الخجل

عنها فقام مقامه الخجل

The breeze passed by her veil, and it fell

Love passed by her veil so it fell in love

From her; then bashfulness took its place.

With her, so in its place shyness stood

وتمايلت فحسبتها قمراً

وتمايلت فحسبتها قمراً

يجلوه غصنٌ تحته جبل

يجلوه غصنٌ تحته جبل

And she swayed, so I thought her a moon,

And she swayed so I reckoned her a moon

Revealed by a bough, with a mountain beneath it.

Lit by a branch beneath which is a mountain

نادمتها فسمعت من فمها

نادمتها فسمعت من فمها

ملحاً حلت فكأنها قُبَل

ملحاً حلت فكأنها قُبَل

I kept her company and heard from her lips

I reproached her but heard from her mouth

Witticisms so sweet they seemed like kisses.

Salt, so it was as if she were a kiss

ودعوتها للراح فابتعدت

ودعوتها للراح فابتعدت

عني تقول لأمِّك الهبل

عني تقول لأمِّك الهبل

And I invited her to wine, so she drew away

And I called her to comfort but she distanced

From me, saying, “May your mother be bereft!

Herself from me, saying to your mother confusion

هذي حرام لست أشربها

هذي حرام لست أشربها

شربي حليب النوق يا رجل

شربي حليب النوق يا رجل

This is forbidden; I do not drink it.

This is forbidden, I won't drink it

My drink is she-camels’ milk, O man!”

My drinking is the milk of the camel, O man

واللَه لو شربت لقربها

واللَه لو شربت لقربها

مني وقربني لها الثَمَل

مني وقربني لها الثَمَل

And by God, had she drunk, she would have been drawn closer

By God, if I drank to be near it

To me, and I to her, by intoxication.

And it brought me near to her, the thirst